The Triangle
by loveimagination18
Summary: Drama ensues when Neal returns.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: This wasn't a prompt, but it wouldn't get out of my head. Hope you like. =)

It was three in the morning and the town of Storybrooke, Maine was quiet. Lights were out, everything silent and still as time passed and people slept; the promise of a new day. The Charming household, however, was a bit different….

"I could kill you!" Neal shouted as he lunged at Killian, pinning him to the wall and encircling his hands around Killian's neck. David stepped in, grabbing Neal from behind and pulling him off. "Stop!" he screamed, standing between them. Emma Swan, eyes wide, looked at Neal. "Are you insane?!" Ignoring them, Neal shouted at Killian as he continued to get past David. "Are you just trying to make my life miserable?" Killian rubbed his hand over his neck, catching his breath. "Baelfire, I assure you, I never planned for any of this to happen." he said, stepping toward him.

Neal shook his head, bringing his attention toward Emma. She could see it in his eyes. He was furious. His clothes, garments from another land, were dirty and disheveled. Bags under his eyes, he looked exhausted, as they all were. It had been only about five minutes ago that she had been woken up herself.

_"Emma?" she heard someone say. "Honey?" they said again. Coming to, Emma opened her eyes, seeing her mother's gentle face full of something she couldn't name. "Mom? What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up, being careful not to wake Killian next to her._

_Snow bit her lip. "I heard a knock at the door. Emma…" she hesitated, looking at the man beside Emma, his sleeping form. Silently, she gestured for Emma to follow her. Looking over at her side, Emma got up out of bed, reaching for her robe and wrapping it around her as she followed. Closing the door quietly behind them, Snow finished. "It's Neal." she said._

_Emma's eyes widened and she swallowed. "Neal?" she asked quietly. Joy filled her as she breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she felt uncertain because she remembered when she and Neal last saw each other and the circumstances from then and now were completely different._

_Coming down the stairs, Emma stopped at the last step as Neal turned away from David. "Emma" he said, smiling and walking towards her. Hugging her and lifting her off the last step, she smiled, her eyes shining. "Neal." she whispered. She couldn't quite believe that after months of believing he was gone, he was here in her arms now, hugging her as if his life depended on it. Stepping back, she looked him over. His clothes were definitely not from here. 'What are you…how did you…" she asked, trying to get her bearings._

_"The portal…it took me to the Enchanted Forest. Mulan, Aurora, and Prince Phillip found me. Since then, I've been trying to find a way back. It's been hell, Emma." he said, taking his hand and putting a strand of her hand of her hair behind her ear. "I'll explain everything later. I just…I had to see you. Where's Henry?" he asked, looking upstairs. Emma caught Snow's expression, her mother's eyes wide. "He's with Regina this weekend." Snow said._

_Disappointed, Neal nodded. "Oh." he said. "I was hoping to see him now, but I guess I'll have to wait until the morning." he said. The air filled with silence, tense and a little awkward. Snow, hesitating slightly, had to ask. "Where…where are you staying?" she asked, praying he had somewhere he could go. Neal furrowed his brows and cleared his throat. "Uh..nowhere, really." He chuckled humorlessly. "I was hoping….I could stay here for the night?" he asked, looking around at the three of them as they looked everywhere but at him._

_A noise upstairs caused everyone to jump a little. "Emma?" a voice called. Glancing upstairs, Neal looked confused. "Who is that?" he asked. Emma swallowed. "Neal.." she started. His eyes turned towards the stairs as Killian Jones came into view. Neal's eyes widened, his mouth agape. "Hook?" he asked. Killian proceeded down the stairs. "What's going…" he stopped as he met Neal's eyes. For a few seconds, the two men just stared at each other, history brewing beneath. _

_"Baelfire?" Hook asked, surprise and shock in his voice._ _No one said a thing. Words were hanging over everyone. Snow and David looked at each other, David subtly stepping closer to the two men., just in case it was necessary. Emma looked between the two men as they stared at each other. Neal broke eye contact and looked at Emma, then at Hook again, then back, wheels in his mind seeming to turn. He noticed Hook's attire; black sweats and a black shirt, sleeping attire. He noticed how close they stood, their bodies leaned towards each other. Breathing heavily, Neal lunged forward. "I could kill you!"_

And here they were, Neal now looking at Emma. "Hook?! Really?!" he asked, screaming. Emma stepped forward, reaching out. "Neal, please…."she said, pleading with him to calm down. Shaking his head, he continued. "Please tell me this isn't true. Tell me it's not what I think it is." he said. Emma swallowed and looked at him. She couldn't lie. "I…it just happened." she said. She couldn't apologize for it. She wasn't sorry it happened, but she **was** sorry Neal had to find out this way. She was sorry for how he must be feeling.

Killian spoke. "Baelfire, please know that neither of us meant to hurt you." he said, guilt evident in his voice, his eyes boring into Neal's. Stepping past David slowly, Killian stopped in front of Neal, who was breathing heavily and staring him down. Emma spared a glance at Snow, who was just behind David, biting her lip, her arms crossed. "It wasn't planned." he said, reaching out for Neal. He looked like he just wanted to hug him. "Don't touch me!" Neal screamed, pushing his hand away and pushing Killian. David stepped between them again as Neal yelled "Don't you dare touch me! Don't try to make me feel better. As if it not being planned is supposed to make everything ok?!" he screamed. "First you break apart my family by taking away my mother, now you break apart my family by taking away my kid's mom?! The woman I love?!" he screamed.

Killian winced and looked at Emma. By now, Killian had told her everything that had happened regarding his history with Gold and Neal and Emma, in turn, had told him everything about Neal, including the last time they had seen each other. They had grown close. They were one. They had no secrets. They loved each other. A lot had changed since their adventure to Neverland. "You're freakin unbelievable!" screamed Neal, turning and rubbing a hand through his hair. "And you!" he turned to Emma.

"What happened to the last time we saw each other, huh?" he asked. "You said you loved me!" he said. "And now you're with him?!" he asked. "I guess that didn't mean anything." he said. Emma was angry now. "I did love you!" she screamed and paused. "I did…..but I wasn't **in love** with you anymore." she said. She glanced at Killian, who moved to stand beside her, taking her hand in his as the two looked at Neal. Neal glanced down at their entwined hands, swallowing.

Snow was silent, observing the scene before her, until she finally spoke. "Neal. Please. Try to understand." She stepped in front of David, softly pushing him back so she can step in. "We searched for you. For months. I know first hand how Emma had to deal with that and Henry being taken to Neverland…" Neal cut her off. "Wait, Henry was taken to Neverland?" he asked, eyes wide, looking at Emma. Emma nodded and said "Long story, he's fine now." Snow continued. "Killian helped us." Snow said. Neal shook his head. "Killian?!" he said and Snow continued. " If it wasn't for him, Henry may not be here right now." she said, looking over at Killian. Snow and Killian had reached an understanding and had grown to respect and trust each other. He was family now.

Neal glowered at Killian. "One big happy family." he said, sarcasm evident in his voice. He stepped in front of him. "You know, Hook, you may have everyone fooled into thinking you're actually a decent person, but I know you." Killian swallowed and shook his head. You could see the hurt in his eyes. "I tried to be a family with you Baelfire. That was all I ever wanted. I would have taken you under my wing, aboard my ship, part of me crew, but you turned away from that." Killian's voice was rising. "You turned away from me." he said, swallowing. "In doing so, you made me think I wasn't worthy of it." Turning to Emma, he sighed. "She reminded me I was." he said and turned back to Neal. 'I AM worthy of family, of love." he said. Releasing his hand from Emma's he pointed at Neal, in his space, his anger clear now. "You abandoned her. You were a coward, just like your father! She was broken because of you and it took me quite a while to finally break down the walls you built, so don't come in here and act like she is YOUR PROPERTY!" he seethed as Emma brought her hands to his shoulder, breathing heavily as silence engulfed them all.

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. No words, no movement. Finally Neal shook his head and stormed out, shutting the door hard behind him. Silence again.

"Well…..that went well." said David.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: Thank you for the reviews and the faves/follows for this story! Chapter 2. Enjoy. Reviews are appreciated. =)

* * *

Emma looked around at Snow, Killian, & David, the sound of the slammed door still slightly echoing.  
Finally, Snow asked "Should we go after him? I mean, we have to go after him. Where's he gonna stay?" As Emma began walking towards the door to follow Neal, Killian lightly grabbed her wrist. "He'll be fine. He'll stay on my ship for the night." he said, sounding as if he had no doubt. Emma frowned. "How can you be so sure?" she asked. Killian stared at the door. "Because the only other option would be his father." he said.

* * *

Coming to, Neal's eyelids fluttered as he heard a faint creak. Opening his eyes, he groaned as he registered the sight in front of him. "Dammit." he said. He had planned on waking earlier than he had, in effort to sneak off the ship before he could be seen. He had been so exhausted and clearly, he had failed at his mission, as Emma and Hook stood in front of him, Emma's arms were crossed and Hook leaned against the doorframe behind her, his hook gleaming. Neal vaguely registered the fact that Hook now wore a black leather jacket, a black shirt, the same old chain he always wore and blue jeans with black boots. Sighing, Neal slowly sat up and rubbed his face in order to wake himself.

"I told you he would be here." Hook said, looking at Neal. Neal's eyes narrowed at the pirate. "Don't pretend you know me." he said, moving to get out of bed. Killian's eyes became slits. "I could have." he said, moving into the room. Neal looked down. The memories he had on this ship were too much for him to confront at the moment. He felt betrayed. He felt sad. More than anything, he felt angry. As he moved to walk toward Killian, Emma got between them. "Stop." she said, putting her hand on his chest. Looking away from Killian to her, he noticed the look of desperation in her eyes. "What do you want from me?" he asked, as he stepped back from her, her hand thus falling to her side. "We just wanted to make sure you were ok." she said, reaching down on the floor. "I brought you some clothes to change into. They're David's but I figured you'd want out of those." she said, extending the pile of clothes to him.

As he looked down at the clothes, Neal pondered. What he really wanted to do was decline, but the clothes he had on now were so ragged, he couldn't. He supposed he should have raided Hook's closet when he got on board, but he just fell into bed. It had been a long journey, one he had yet to explain. Taking the clothes, he placed them on the bed behind him, mumbling his thanks. He looked between them. "Can I get some privacy?" he asked in a tone that suggested it was obvious. Emma turned, grabbed Hook's jacket and pulled him behind her, shutting the door on their way out. Neal looked around the room. He didn't want to be here anymore. He didn't want to talk, especially to two people who were just added to his "Betrayer's" list. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe that, yet again, the pirate had managed to worm his way into breaking up his family, the only thing he had. He wanted to be far away from them, from **him**, and closer to Henry, who, at this point, was the only one he could trust. Beginning to take off his clothes he vaguely wished for a window he could climb through.

* * *

Emma and Killian leaned against the wall, side by side. "Henry needs to know." she said, sighing as they waited for Neal to change. Killian nodded slightly. "That he does." he said, looking down. He tapped his hook on the wall and looked over at Emma, leaning his forehead against the side of her face. He closed his eyes as she leaned into him. He could feel emotion coming off of her in waves, no doubt about Henry. "Everything will be fine." he said. She sighed. "I'm so relieved he's alive, for Henry's sake. I just feel so guilty." she confessed. Killian's eyes furrowed. "Why is that?" he asked. She swallowed. "Can you imagine how he must have felt to hear his dad had passed not once, but twice, the second time being the actual truth?" she asked. "Just to find out that he's actually alive and he'll be so happy, but…it's gotta be a freakin rollercoaster for him." she said, shrugging. Catching Killian's look of confusion, she smiled slightly and added "A rollercoaster is a ride that goes up and down…..never mind." she said, chuckling slightly. Before Killian could respond, the door opened and Neal rushed past them, now looking like he belonged in this world.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked, following him, Killian close behind her. Neal turned and faced them. "Away from the both of you. Would you just leave me alone?" he asked, turning to continue walking. "What about Henry?" asked Emma. Neal stopped suddenly, looked down, and slowly turned around. His eyes narrowed. "Do you really think I'd leave him?" Emma blinked, looking confused. "What?" she asked. "I was just…." but Neal cut her off.

"You asked in a way that suggested that it's something I might do!" he screamed. He was livid. "I'm NOT leaving him! I'm NOT MY FATHER!" he yelled. Killian had had enough. He stepped between Neal and Emma, gently pushing Neal back. "That's enough. I suggest you keep your tone light, lad. She was merely asking a question." he said. Neal laughed a laugh devoid of humor. He shoved Killian back. "Get your hands off me." he said as Emma tried to get between them. "Or should I say hand. Oh! Another thing. I don't know your relationship with my son, but he's MY son. I just want to make that clear." he said, stalking off. "He would never harm Henry." Emma called after him, keeping her stance between the two men. Neal turned, throwing his hands up in the air. "He's a pirate Emma! He doesn't care about ANYONE but himself!" he exclaimed.

Killian brushed past Emma and moved to stand right in front of Neal, pointing at him. "I cared about you!" he screamed. He was breathing heavily. All of their emotions were starting to show, just as it had the night before, bubbling to the surface after so many years of words left unsaid. Neal pushed Killian again. Emma continued trying to pull the two of them, history between them, apart. "Really? You cared about me so much that you let them take me!" Neal screamed. Up until that point, Emma knew, Killian had been trying very hard to not let himself react to Neal's pushes and shoves. She knew Killian still viewed him as the young boy he offered a home to on his ship. However, he was reaching his limit. She was desperate to keep the two men of her life from hurting each other. Neal, her past, & Killian, her present and future. "Stop!" she screamed. "Well, you made it very clear you didn't want to be around me didn't you?!" screamed Killian. "I offered you the little home I had left after your mother died! All I wanted was for you not to feel the way I did when I was your age. I wanted to be a family, the family your mother and I planned for. Losing her broke me. No thanks to your father!" Neal pushed Killian yet again, the hardest he had. "You talk about my father so much. You let them take me! You're a coward, just like him!" he yelled. Emma was still screaming for both of them to stop, trying to keep between them.

Killian had it. He lunged at Neal, pushing him against the wall, being careful to not touch Neal with his hook. "I'm NOTHING like your father!" he screamed. Killian swallowed. Neal continued to act against him, trying to push him off. "Baelfire! I don't want to hurt you, lad!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, a burst of magic from close to them pushed Killian off Neal, throwing him across the room. "Killian!" screamed Emma as she looked behind her to see where the magic had come from. Killian hit a glass cabinet filled with bottles of rum and landed on the floor with a groan, clutching his sides, blood dripping as Emma ran to his side. Neal, Emma, and Killian looked up.

"Get away from my son!" screamed Gold.


	3. Chapter 3

Gold couldn't believe his eyes. "Baelfire?" he whispered, stepping towards his son, reaching for him and pulling him into his arms. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when Neal barely returned the hug, choosing to withdraw slowly. Frowning, Gold said "My boy. You're alive." His eyes started to shine. He settled for putting his hand on his shoulder. Before Neal could speak, Emma did. "Gold, what the hell's the matter with you!?" she screamed as Killian groaned. "It's just a scratch, darling." Killian muttered. "I've had far worse." he said, leaning towards Emma so she could help him up.

As Killian stood, wincing, Gold's eyes darkened. "If you didn't notice, dearie, he had my son pinned against the wall." he said, stepping towards them. Seeing this, Emma quickly stepped in between. "He wasn't hurting him! He was trying to calm him down." Looking straight into Gold's eyes, she threatened "Try anything again, and I promise you, I won't be as nice as I am now."

Gold chuckled. "The Princess defending her Pirate. Isn't that sweet." he said. He stared at Killian. The two couldn't be farther from tolerating. They had begrudgingly agreed to work together to save Henry from Neverland, but after they returned with the boy, they avoided each other at all costs. "Careful. We don't want history repeating itself." he said quietly, smirking at Killian.

Killian lunged at Gold. Neal stepped in and helped Emma hold him back. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you." said Emma, trying to get Killian's attention on her. Neal sighed, turning towards his father. "Dad, why the hell are you even here?" he asked. Gold tilted his head, his hands resting on his cane. "Let's just say I felt a pull towards the Roger. I could ask you the same" he said.

Neal rubbed his face. "I slept here. I got here early this morning." Gold looked at him questioningly. "Why didn't you come to me?" he asked. Killian interrupted. "In case you haven't noticed, your lad despises you." he said. The anger in his voice was hard to miss. "With good reason." he added. Neal sighed as Gold charged at Killian this time. Getting between them, Neal had enough. "That's it! I'm out of here!" he screamed. Killian grabbed Neal's arm gently as he turned to walk away. "Baelfire." He paused, the memory of the last time he offered his ship to the young boy fresh in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. "You're welcome to stay on the Roger for as long as you need." Neal looked down at Killian's good hand on his arm. He looked at Emma and then back at Killian. "I want off this ship. _Pirate_." he said, yanking his arm out of Killian's grasp.

Gold smirked as Killian's hand fell to his side. Seeing the look on Killian's face, Emma followed Neal, touching Killian's arm softly as she passed, and called out to him. "Hey! You don't need to be a douche to him about it. He was just being nice." she said as she followed Neal up to the deck. Neal sighed. "I'm sure he was." he said, his sarcasm clear. "Listen," he continued, "I know Regina has Henry this weekend but I need to see him." he said. Gold appeared on deck, watching them. Emma felt better now that Gold was in her sight, just in case he tried to hurt Killian again. She was about to go down below and see if Killian was okay when he appeared behind Gold, not too close.

Emma turned her attention back to Neal. "Of course. I'll go with you." she said. Neal shrugged and stepped down the gangplank. She walked towards Killian and Gold. "He wants to see Henry. I'm gonna go with him." she told Killian. Looking down, Killian nodded. Eyeing Gold, she wished he would leave so she could say more. Pulling Killian aside, she looked at him as Killian watched Neal walking on the pier. "I'm sorry." she whispered. "I know that must have been hard for you to hear again." she said. She cupped his face. Killian sighed. "It must be hard for him as well…..to see the woman he loves, the mother of his child, with another man." he said, his eyebrows furrowed. Emma said nothing. She leaned into him and Killian kissed the top of her head, resting his chin on top of her hair. "Go on." he said, pushing her away from him gently. Emma looked at Gold. "I'll be fine." Killian said, knowing what was on her mind. She was afraid to leave him alone with Gold.

Nodding, Emma quickly kissed his lips and departed from the ship, running after Neal to catch up. Killian looked at them, over the edge of the ship. He had a million thoughts. He was torn. He cared for both of them deeply, in completely different ways. He never would have imagined he'd be in the position he was in now. Hearing Gold's steps coming closer, he sighed inwardly. Beside him, Gold spoke. "Deep down, you know there's something between them. They have a child together." Killian said nothing as he continued to watch Emma and Neal. Gold pressed on. "You wouldn't want to be the reason, yet again, that a family is broken apart, now would you?" Still, Killian stayed silent. Gold paused and said "You would only hurt Henry. The very same way you hurt Bae." he said. Seeing Killian close his eyes at that and swallow, Gold nodded and descended the gangplank.

When Killian opened his eyes, he was alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites. I love getting feedback so reviews are always appreciated =) You guys make me feel. This story is almost done. Just one more chapter after this. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Emma furrowed her brows as Neal walked past her car. That yellow buggy that held so many memories for the both of them. "We can go in my car." she said, as she finally caught up to him. Neal shrugged and kept walking. "I'd rather not. Don't you think it's time for an upgrade?" he asked. Emma rolled her eyes beside him. "I love that car." she said. He said nothing. Stopping him, Emma forced him to turn towards her. "If we go in my car, you'll get to Henry faster. It's not that short of a walk." she said, crossing her arms.

Neal sighed. "Fine." Begrudgingly, he turned back towards the car as Emma followed to the driver's side. As they drove away from the docks and towards Regina's home, the silence was thick. Emma looked at Neal out of the corner of her eye as he drummed his fingers impatiently. Finally, Emma decided to speak. "Look, I know this isn't the best situation…for any of us. But, if we're all going to be in Henry's life, we have to learn to at least tolerate each other. The kid's been through enough." she said, glancing over at Neal.

He stayed silent, looking out the window. He rubbed his forehead, clearly not wanting to have the conversation Emma was trying to have. Minutes ticked by as they drove closer to their destination. Again, Emma spoke. "We never meant to hurt you. We didn't even know you were alive." she said, attempting to push again. It was a conversation that needed to be had, with words that needed to be said.

Neal chuckled humorlessly and shook his head. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he asked. Emma shook her head, chewing on the inside of her mouth as Neal continued. "It doesn't." He paused. "You wanna have this conversation, Emma? Let's have it then. Let's have a conversation about how you clearly lied about how you felt about me when I fell through that portal. I mean, based on how quickly you moved on and all!" he said. His tone was rising.

Finally, they reached their destination, and it couldn't have been at a more perfect time. Parking in front of Regina's, Emma faced Neal. "I told you I loved you. I did love you. But it wasn't in the way I used to Neal!" exclaimed Emma. "You were about to fall through a portal! Right in front of my eyes! There was nothing I could do about it!" she yelled. "I did love you." she repeated. She sighed and looked in front of her, through the windshield. She shut her eyes. "You were my first love. You were everything to me. You were my family when I had none." she said. "And then you betrayed me." As Neal began to interrupt, Emma stopped him.

"Yes, I know **WHY** you did it. But I don't agree with it!" she said. Neal interrupted her. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to make that decision?!" he screamed. "To leave you behind? For the freakin greater good?! I loved you like you loved me. I…" he paused. "I still love you." Emma closed her eyes. Neal continued. "You were my family too. But….I thought it was the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do." he said, shrugging and shaking his head.

Emma finally looked at him. "You could have stayed." she whispered. "If you really wanted to stay, you would have stayed." She paused. "You didn't fight for me." Neal stared at Emma and swallowed. The words she spoke repeated in his head as silence hung in the air. _You didn't fight for me_. Neal looked away from her and rested his head back against the seat, closing his eyes. What she said was all that needed to be said. That was the period at the end of a sentence. He supposed he hadn't fought for her, not as much as he should have, as much as he could have. There was no more denying it after such a simple sentence. He knew she was right. He never was a fighter.

Tick Tock, went the clock. Neal broke the silence. "I suppose he does." he said. He heard Emma's voice, not able to look at her just yet. "Always. I love him, Neal. You don't have to like it, but you have to respect it." she said. Neal opened his eyes and finally looked at her. "What about Henry?" he asked. Emma tilted her head, realizing that Neal was worried he would lose Henry. "Henry and Killian get along great. I know Killian would risk his life for him because I've seen it myself. But you are a part of his life too, Neal. I know he'll be so glad to have you back. You'll always be a part of his life, I promise you." she said, touching his shoulder, reassuring him.

Neal nodded slowly. "Maybe one day everyone in this family will do more than tolerate each other." he said. There was still pain, there was still anger, there was still everything. But hope was powerful. Emma smiled. "Maybe." she said. "Now let's go see this kid." she said, getting out of the car and walking towards Regina's front door. Neal was right behind her.

* * *

Killian heard footsteps behind him as he looked out at the ocean before him. About an hour had passed since he had been left alone, and yet he was still on the deck of his ship, thoughts plaguing him.

"Glad to see Gold didn't turn you into an alligator or something." Emma said, as she appeared next to him. She snaked her arms around him and leaned into him as he wrapped his arm around her. "Not just yet." said Killian. "How did it go with Henry?" he asked.

Emma let out a breath. "Good. He was ecstatic." she smiled at the memory of Henry jumping into his father's arms. She loved seeing him so happy. "Regina wasn't expecting that, to say the least." she smirked. "I left Neal there with them so he can catch up with Henry, spend some time with him." She paused and looked at the ocean. Just as she was about to speak, Killian did. "I don't want to hurt Henry." he said, sadly. Emma looked at him, surprised. "What? What do you mean?" she asked, her brows furrowed, confusion etched all over her face. Killian pulled his arm from around her and stepped back slightly. "I hurt Baelfire once before….getting between his mother and father." Killian swallowed. "I broke his family apart and hundreds of years later, he still hates me for it." He paused and looked down. 'I couldn't bear to do that to Henry. I couldn't bear hurting him." He turned away from her.

To say she was confused was an understatement. "Okay…what the hell is going on? Where is this coming from?" she asked, stepping in front of him so he faced her. Realization hit her. "Did Gold say something to you?" she asked. Killian stared at her. Emma sighed. She knew it was a bad idea to leave them alone. "Don't listen to anything he says. He just wants to get under your skin and you can't let him do that." she said, stepping closer to him. Killian shook his head. "The fact of the matter is that Henry and I grew close when his father was thought to be gone. Now that he's returned, I'm sure he's going to continue wishing for something all children do…for their parents to be together. Emma, I don't want to cause him pain. I don't want to be the person to get in the way of his family." he said.

Emma had heard enough. "Stop." she said. Killian said nothing as he saw the expression on her face. Her eyes were slightly wide, her cheeks flushed. "You aren't getting in the way of his family. You **_are_** his family." said said. She paused. "You are **my** family." Killian swallowed and stared. Emma continued. "Henry is not going to resent you. He cares about you. That kid has so much love in his heart. He won't turn away from you if you're his family. You've seen that first hand. Don't you remember when he convinced us all not to leave Regina behind to save Storybrooke? He's older now. He's wiser than he was even a couple months ago. He just wants me to be happy." Emma cupped Killian's cheek. "You make us happy. You make me happy. I love you." she said, her eyes shining. Killian shut his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers.

"You are the greatest treasure I have ever come across. I love you, Captain Swan." he whispered. Emma smiled as a single tear fell down her cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: Here it is! The final chapter of The Triangle. This was my first every story (i typically do one shots). I don't know what it is about this damn pirate & princess that just inspires me to write. Thank you all for the reviews, follows, faves, and support :) I hope you enjoyed the read as much as iI enjoyed writing it!

* * *

Emma Swan stared at her reflection in the mirror. There was no one else but her. Just staring. Thinking. She thought back to all that had happened in the past year since Neal returned. Where he was now. Where she was now. If you had told her a year ago that leaving Neal with Regina and Henry that day would change his life forever, she wouldn't have believed it. In doing that, she had unknowingly started the flickering of a relationship between Neal and Regina. Now, they were together, in love, and happy.

Emma shook her head slightly. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Just when things couldn't get any weirder, The Queen & The Thief / Rumplestiltskin's son / her ex hook up. She remembered Gold's reaction when he found out and chuckled again. _"Oh, you've GOT to be joking!"_ Henry took it surprisingly well. She heard his voice in her head._ "Mom, I've learned to expect the unexpected in this family. As long as he's happy."_ She smiled to herself. That kid was just too smart for his own good.

Killian was surprised, yet thrilled. More for Neal's happiness than anything else. _"Love can do wonders for the soul, darling."_ She smirked at his voice. Everything, she was afraid to admit, was going well. Her family, dysfunctional at times, were tolerating each other and going about their lives. Belle and Gold were engaged.. Her parents were still madly in love. Henry was ecstatic that everyone seemed to be getting along (or tolerating each other in Killian and Gold's case). It was wonderful. At times, too wonderful. Emma remembered the nights Hook had to assure her that everything would be fine; those times she got scared that something would come along to mess it all up. Life has a funny way of putting a huge roadblock in the way of your path to a happy ending. She knew that all too well.

She remembered what he said. _"If fairytales exist, then so do happy endings. Perhaps we've all paid our dues in terms of pain. We deserve happiness now. Besides, if anything were to ever try and get in the way of that, we stick together and fight it, like we always have."_ Hearing him say that comforted her. He was right. She decided to stop wasting her life worrying and just enjoy it. She took a deep breath when a knock came on the door.

In the reflection of the mirror, Emma saw her father enter and close the door behind him. He looked stunned. "Emma, you look absolutely beautiful." Turning to face him, Emma smiled. "Thanks." she said. Stepping in front of her and extending his arm, her father asked one question.

"Are you ready to be Mrs. Killian Jones?" he asked.

Smoothing her dress, and grabbing her flowers, Emma smiled widely and linked her arm through his. She was finally getting **her** happy ending.

End.


End file.
